I have no kids and live in a low crime area. I use trigger locks and I'm in the process of building a wooden gun cabinet. How much benefit is there for someone like me to get a gun safe for my long guns? Handguns I can see since they are more likely to be the target of burglars.

I'm asking because someone unfamiliar with guns recently tried to convince me to get a safe.

That depends. If it's a simple wooden cabinet, I'd say no. All that does is place all your guns in central location for a thief to find and steal all at once. A person who broke into your HOUSE when you are away is not likely to be deterred by a simple cabinet door. He'll simply crowbar that, too, or smash the glass (if it's a locking display cabinet) and take them.

If you're wanting a safe, make it a proper safe. One they cannot simply pry open or carry away.

Check your home owners insurance. If you've got more than a few guns of any sort, they aren't covered in most cases. Low crime areas are prime targets for theives. All it take is the wrong person seeing you transport your selection for the day to the range. All it takes is once. I have a friend that didn't have a safe. We live in a community of extremely low crime. In fact, I'll bet that half the people in our town don't lock the home doors daily. He lost all of his prize shotguns in the blink of any eye. $500ish for a safe, keeps your guns out of the hands of drug dealers and just maybe a kid.

1 - Are you prepared to accept the financial loss of the collection?
2 - Are you prepared to accept the liability if they fall into the wrong hands?
3 - Could you live with yourself if someone lost their life because you didn't have a safe?

Everyone should have a safe. Until about three weeks ago I always said I didn't need one because I didn't have any kids and the area where I live is very low crime. I sold some furniture on Craigslist and the guy who bought it made several comments about my guns (Had a few on the gun rack) and "This sure is a good place to get broke into" ,although I'm surrounded by houses and a business across the street. Anyway, I got a bad vibe from him and after he left I carried all my guns but one to a trusted friends house until I can buy a safe. Never wanted a safe, never thought I needed one until now, but the times have changed I guess, everyone should have there guns locked away good and tight in a safe.

I live in a very low crime area... no kids. But I still keep all of my guns (except my carry piece) locked up in a safe. My house being robbed my be one in a million, but thats enough for me to make a safe worth the $$$$.

There's nothing wrong with having a safe, and if it is an easy expense for you, I would recommend it. However, since you don't have kids, this is something that you will have to decide if you need. I personally don't have kids and I don't have a safe. I am comfortable with that and I don't think there is anything wrong with it. If someone wanted to give me a safe, I would probably use it to lock up my more expensive firearms, but I would still keep my home defense guns at the ready. I don't want to spend money on a safe. If I have kids it will be one of my first expenses, but until then, I don't feel that I need one.

Realize that if you don't have kids a gun safe is only a guard against theft. It is as necessary or as unnecessary as an alarm system on your home. What I mean by that is that you need to decide what you feel is a necessary level of precaution against theft. If you feel that locking the deadbolt on your house is secure enough, then you probably don't need a gun safe. If you take your home security very seriously, it wouldn't be a bad investment. There really is no right or wrong answer here.

I do want to stress two points, however unrelated they may be from the actual question:

1. First of all, if you have kids you owe it to your family to invest in even the cheapest of gun safes. Not having a gun safe in a household with small children is irresponsible. Now I'm not arguing that it should be law, because I don't like the idea of being forced to do things by the government, but I do think that it is a personal responsibility and as a responsible parent, you should be limiting anyone who is not proficient with firearms from having access to them. If your kids are trained, then that may not be an issue. Personally I think that a good all around way to prevent any accidents is to teach younger children gun safety and to limit their access when unsupervised. Just my opinion.

2. A locked up and loaded home defense gun is useless. I would recommend finding a different solution that promotes safety, but also gives you quick access. Also just my opinion.

I recently bought a cheap Stack-On "safe." Around here we get break-ins by inexperienced punk kids. The cheap safe along with motion alarms and dogs give me a little piece of mind. I also have the NRA insurance. If I was hit by a pro, I figure they would be able to get into any safe so I am fine with the $115 Stack-On.

Plus a good safe is expensive, not only the purchase price but delivery and setup is not cheap. I honestly don't know how someone would get a 800 lb safe setup into my house.

Is the area low crime because there are no assaults and murders or is it low crime because there are no break-ins and burglaries? There is a difference.

I use trigger locks and I'm in the process of building a wooden gun cabinet.

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So long as it is not your self defense weapons this really isn't an issue. Neither will help protect your gun from theft though.

How much benefit is there for someone like me to get a gun safe for my long guns?

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That is pretty hard to judge since I don't know much about you. If your gun collection has a value over say $10,000 a $800 safe is fairly cheap insurance. Your home owners policy (if you have one) might have limitations that would prevent you from collecting the full amount on your guns if they were stolen.

Handguns I can see since they are more likely to be the target of burglars.

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This is really strange. How many burglars know that you have guns? handguns? If the burglar sees a gun he will make off with it if he can. I am not so sure the type matters if he sees anything of value. Handguns do get stolen more but there are more handguns than either shotguns or rifles.

I say absolutely get the nicest safe you can afford. If it prevents the theft of just one 'nice' 1911 of mine, it's more than served its purpose. Low crime doesn't mean No crime. I bought a big, 24 gun safe just about a year ago, and now I'm thinkig about where I'll sit my next safe. Just be careful, somehow guns multiply when left in the confines of a nicely carpeted fire proof safe!

I guess I'm the contrarian. I think that in the vast majority of cases a gun safe is a waste of money and space.

Nothing wrong with safes and strongboxes as a general thing, for stuff you can't or won't put in the safe deposit box. But a cabinet safe for long arms? Why? Unless you have a collection of uber-valuable guns known to the world, what's the point? I got a lot of military rifles eight years ago for $50 or less per gun. Turk Mausers, Russian Mosins, Carcanos, Arisakas, Enfields, you name it. I've traded way down in the years since, but for awhile I had a houseful of big, cheap guns. Safes would have cost many times the value of the guns inside each one.

A couple of years back, my home was broken into by a career burglar, and a few things of very little value were taken. The burglar (who was caught the next day) walked right past a whole bunch of guns I had left out in the den, without touching them. That scored a lot of points.

If you have 3 or less (and no kids) then you can probably put them someplace that would keep them out of the way of the simple thief. Most guys don't spend that much time in the house; they are just looking for a quick payoff. I have an friend who lost three of his handguns simply because he put his range bag on the kitchen table. The local hop head busted in while he was gone for 1 hour to pick up someone at the airport.

With more guns, it becomes a problem.

I have young children so a locked storage area is a must. Even a closet will do if you have the key (a real key).

There's no way I can afford a safe right now, so I picked up a metal cabinet with a good sold locking system. Two fold protection. It keeps the kiddies out, and any smash and grab artist is unlikely to invest the time. With SKS's going for 350, I'd hate to lose any weapons to some coke fiend.

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